Redskins: Figuring out what to do with Spencer Long will be critical

The Washington Redskins are going to have to make a decision on whether or not to keep Spencer Long. It won’t be an easy one.

Over the course of the past two seasons, the Washington Redskins have built a fairly capable offensive line. After going years with Trent Williams as their only top offensive lineman, the team has managed to shore up almost all the spots on their roster. Williams and Brandon Scherff are Pro Bowlers while Morgan Moses has been a rock at right tackle. Chase Roullier came in at center this year and performed well as a rookie. The only hole the team has on the line is at left guard.

Shawn Lauvao has been a below average lineman who has dealt with injuries during his Redskins career. With his four year contract finally up, the team will probably look to part ways with him during the 2018 offseason. That said, the team has a potentially capable replacement available in Spencer Long, but he too is set to hit the open market.

For the 2016 season and half of the 2017 campaign, Long served as the starting center for the Redskins. He was a solid player there, but wasn’t quite as effective as he was as a guard during his first two seasons with the team. There were some who were hoping that Roullier’s presence would give the Redskins a chance to move Long back to guard. That never materialized, as Long had to go on IR after suffering knee and quad injuries midway through the season.

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Now, the Redskins are faced with a choice. They will have the option of re-signing Long on the open market. They can offer him a three or four year deal to play left guard and hopefully bring back an offensive line that looks solid at all positions. That said, the team probably won’t want to pay more than $5 million a year for Long. They could maybe do as much as $6 million per year, but that may be a bit much. He has versatility and is solid, but he’s not a true game changer. For that reason, they won’t try to break the bank for him.

Also, it’s worth noting that the Redskins’ decision on Long will be highly dependent on what they do with Kirk Cousins. If the team signs Cousins to a long-term deal or tags him, they will have to let some talented players go. Considering that Zach Brown is higher on the pecking order than Long and guard isn’t a premium position, the team could let him walk and look for a replacement in the draft, provided that Cousins stays.

Quenton Nelson would be a first round option, but the team would be more likely to select a Day 2 prospect as a top option. But at the same time, there’s no guarantee that a Day 2 guy would be ready to produce right away. So, that’s a risk they will take if Long walks. Relying on an unproven, young talent who may not be ready.

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Given what the Redskins front office has done in free agency in the past couple of years, it’s fair to wonder whether or not they will make the right decision on Long. It’s early, but Long is probably the third most important free agent on the roster (rivaling Mason Foster). Offensive line play is absolutely critical in the modern NFL — just look at this year’s Cincinnati Bengals as an example of what poor line play can do — so bringing back five starters who were with the team last year would be a huge deal. Here’s hoping that the Redskins figure out a way to keep Long to start at left guard.

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